Just As Promised
by LoveHurtsLife
Summary: She waited fourteen years for him, but he never returned. When he does, he must learn how to move on in life, but something else makes him fight for her and what she has.
1. Prologue I

**Disclaimer: I don't One Piece**

**My first crack at a romance between Sanji and Nami, don't flame me, I burn easily...**

**Title: Just As Promised  
Summary: She waited fourteen years for him, but he never returned. When he does, he must learn how to move on in life, but something else makes him fight for her and what she has.  
Rating: T  
Pairing: SanjixNami, LuffyxNami  
Genre: Romance**

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.:Fourteen Years Ago:.

_"N-Nami-chan," he breathed quietly, his arms still wrapped around her waist tightly. His frown on his face was engraved in her head as she looked up at his dark blue eyes. "You don't have to go...we can make a living, just you and me out in the All Blue..."_

_The grip on his shoulder tightened, she buried her head in his chest._

_"We can't go any farther, Sanji, this is Raftel...we've made it to Raftel, I've finished my map, Luffy is Pirate King, Robin found her Rio Poneglyph, Franky-"_

_"But there's still more things to look for!" He threw his hand back towards the sea to emphasize his point, the night had made their vision limited to several kilometers. "Zoro hadn't found Mihawk, Chopper's crying for more adventure...I hadn't found the All Blue yet, I need someone to be with me when I do...please, I don't want to die in the Grand Line alone..."_

_"And you won't because...because you're going to be with me," Nami replied, persuading him to abandon the All Blue was harder than how she thought it would be. "Don't be stupid, you'll kill yourself out here..."_

_"I...I'm sorry, the All Blue calls for me...but, how about this? You can wait for me in Cocoyashi Village for five years, can you be that devoted to me?"_

_"Five?!"_

_"Three years then, tops, I just need more time out here..."_

_Nami looked away slightly but had eye contact with him still._

_"...promise?"_

_"Yes..."_

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.:Present Day:.

A lamp stayed on, her head faced it to gain a wake up call from both it and the sun's rays. That moment...no, that was nearly a decade ago, he still can't be alive.

Sighing, she got up and rubbed the sleep away. Ah, the day was going to be boring as it was the day before..._and the day before that_....and the day before that too and so on. Nothing happens, Cocoyashi had provided her protection from th Marines and other pirates...the one who provided protection for Cocoyashi was none other than the King of the Pirates himself who migrated back to the small vilage every now and then for the past eleven years. Feared by all and yet wanted by all, none dare to venture unless they begged for a death sentence. But to be ethical, at least there was enough peace and quiet to raise a family.

And, well, she did end up raising a family with Luffy after waiting faithfully for her former lover for nearly a decade. Three kids at home and a family yagara kept at sea. Two of them shared the appearances and strength of Luffy, the eldest, however, was nimble with blond hair and blue eyes. All four of them (since Luffy spent most of his time at sea with the middle child) lived in the same home as Nojiko did after she moved out to the Doctor's son's home, leaving Nami to tend to the mikan groove with her children.

Nami opened her window, the view of the garden was always nice to see first thing in the morning. She remembered, during the party after Along Park was destroyed, both she and Sanji sat there on the swing set talking before they suddenly shared a drunken kiss...(sigh)...no, day dreaming won't help bring him back....if he ever comes back, that is.

"Mommy?"

She turned to see her youngest daughter (age 7) standing at the door with a basket in her delicate hands. They stared blankly at each other.

"What's wrong?"

"...nothing, Lily, I'll cook us breakfast..." Her eyes looked ahead into the hallway. "Where's Rose?"

"Outside again, she wanted to feed the birdies so they won't get hungry!"

"Can you get her for me?"

"Yes Mommy!" Lily smiled, she scampered off with her red hair dancing behind. Nami threw a glance at the swing set to find that Rose was simply swinging on it with a pouch of seeds at her side, she got off to let Lily on and push her. "Higher, Rose-oneechan! Higher!"

Rose (age 14) laughed,"All right, but promise me you won't fall, I can't catch you, ya know!"

"I promise!"

_"...promise?"_

_"...yes."_

Nami turned away with a smile and whipped tears from her eyes,"_Yes_..."

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**-Chan: Used on women or girls who are younger, it's less formal than -san**

**-Oneechan: Older sister**

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	2. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, if I did, Sanji'll be the only character.**

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Another fine day of picking mikans had been accomplished. Lily dragged a wagon with ten baskets filled to brim but was unsuccessful until Nami came to her assistance; Rose hung around the back while holding onto a long piece of rope that kept the mikans from falling back.

"Rose, you all right?"

"Yeah mom, completely fine...don't worry-" By the time they went into the village, a fifth-teen year old boy came up to the trio from the grocery store.

"Ooooh! Rosey, your boyfriend's here!" teased Lily as the boy removed a glove from his hand and ran his rough hand down Rose's soft face. She did the same to him and received a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Nami gave him a hug too then gestured over to her mikans, he nodded,"Sure, Nami-san, anything..." He counted each basket to give an estimated price.

Even though Nami did come back loaded with treasure and became rich, she still wanted to earn a little more by selling mikans for a living.

"Hm...you need to check with Dad, I'm still learning and stuff..." Takeo rubbed his hand behind his head in confusion. "I'll be out by the docks, Rose-chan, you can come if you want..." She gave a slight blush.

"No thanks..."

"Okay, that's fine, it's break time for me and all...."

The two teens stood there bashfully.

Nami gave a slight smile,"Rose, you can go with him, just bring her back by five so you can eat dinner."

Takeo grinned,"That's great, c'mon, we can feed Chase from his pen!" He grabbed her hand and led her away. The shopkeeper came outside and greeted Nami,"Afternoon Nami, Lily, you got something?"

"Yep, just like always," Nami replied as he hauled the baskets one by one on to his porch and gave them his money. He waved back at them as they took the wagon back. Lily held Nami's hand as they strode down the street.

"Mommy?" Lily asked timidly while her mother went through the nearest clothing shop.

"Uh-huh?"

"Why does Rose have to do this..." She made the hand gesture that required her fingers to touch her own face. "...to everyone she meets?"

"...it's a thing Mommy and Daddy did," Nami lied. Wrong, only she and Sanji did that.

"What does it mean?"

"It just shows your affection for the person you love..."

"I don't see you and Daddy doing it...do you love him?"

She paused between two shirts.

"Of course!" she hesitated slightly.

"By the way, when's Daddy coming home?"

"Today, around your bedtime..."

.:Beach:.

Rose ran around the sandy space, laughing hard with Takeo at her tail. It wasn't long before she ran into something...or someone who seemed to have a stiff posture. She backed away, baffled by this barrier, and tried to go the other direction. Takeo merely helped her up, backing away from the man too.

"W-We're sorry, I, she couldn't see you, her head was turned and...we'll just go," he tried to apologize but was intimidated very easily. The man had a stoic look, but the boy was wise enough to never take chances...especially if the person wasn't a local. As the pair fled, clouds began to form along with the sea tossing and turning about.

.:Home:.

"Takeo! Rose-oneechan!" Lily shouted into the orchard. "Mommy, they didn't come back yet!"

"Just wait a bit longer...go to bed already! Don't go outside," warned Nami. "...there's a storm brewing-"

_"Blib-blib-blib-blib-blib-blib!"_

"Mommy, dendenmushi!"

_"Blib-blib-blib-blib-blib-blib!!"_ the snail repeated over again._"Blibl-blib-bli-"_

_Click!_

"Mushi-mushi?...." Nami greeted quietly.

No answer.

"Hello?"

"Nami? Nami?! Usopp, is this thing working correctly?"

It was Luffy, the King of the Pirates...the man who still needed help with a dendenmushi.

"Of course it's working, you idiot! It took me two hours for me to-" Usopp was cut short in the background.

"Oh-um-Nami?"

"Yeah?"

Silence swept between htem.

"...there's a storm and...well, the Sunny's run a ground near the Baratie, it'll be while before we can get home. Zeff's fine as usual...."

"That's good..."

"...and about Sanji....No one's found him yet, not even Franky and Robin at Water 7....you don't think he's....you know....dead?"

She kept quiet before speaking,"He can't be..."

"Well, we went looking around the entire world for him for fourteen years! What do you think?!" Luffy yelled into the speaker, causing Nami to flinch and nearly burst into tears.

"L-Luffy-I-"

"No-no, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized hastily. "I guess we'll see each other in a bit..."

"How's Trace?"

"Trace? Got a little seasick, Chopper's taking care of him..."

"Hm....tell him good-night and I love him..."

"I will..."

_...Click!_

And the conversation was done.

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